Colder than Ice
by SharpShooter626
Summary: Prince Zuko, Iroh, and their men are captured and brought to a mysterious island where the only way to leave is to fight what they can't see. COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Aright, sorry for you Aang, Katara, and Sokka fans. They won't be in this story. If you're looking for a not long/no romance story about Zuko, WELL THEN, you've made a good choice. I'm estamating only two more chapters about this length. There will be fights and some Uncle/nephew bonding. No OC's besides the Lord guy, but he's old and ugly. So bleh!

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender and the characters within belong not to me.

_Chapter one: Part one - Can't Fight What You Can't See._

The ship rocked furiously from side to side causing Ex-General Iroh to stumble at he walked. For once a cup of tea didn't lay between his fingers and his normally calm demeaner was shaken. They were being attacked, that much was evident, but by whom was a mystery to him. One of the higher ranked officers barked orders to some men and Iroh's gaze shot around the battle ship for any sign of his nephew. He knew Prince Zuko could take care of himself, but as rain poured from the sky; he feared his nephew was at a loss.

"We're being boarded!" Someone shouted and Iroh glanced around to find out by what. Other men screamed about not seeing the enemy and the entire ship was sent spiraling into an obvious state of panic. It only made sense that it was then that he spotted the teenage prince. The boy was fighting something but only a yellowish glow was emanating from his attacker. Other then that, it was completely invisible.

He took a speedy step to help but two arms that felt as cold as ice wrapped around him, pinning his arms and lifting him from the metal deck. He tried to move and burn the limbs away, but the cold seemed to suck away his strength. After only a few moments, it was hard to keep his eyes open and head up. He witnessed Zuko crash head-long into a cabin wall and fall backwards to the ground, but even the sight of his nephew getting bested couldn't get him his strength back. His eyes finally closed and he fell into darkness.

_Chapter one: Part two - Monsters Within. _

He awoke to the sound of thunder, but it was light and faded. He was inside of something. There were whispers encircling him and he cracked a tired eye open. A cave ceiling hung above him as he layed on his back and every now-and-then a few drips of water would hit his arms or legs causing him to jump at the contact.

"General Iroh," Someone said, calling him by what he used to be. A man's face appeared in front of him and helped him sit up. All the men from the ship were sitting idly around a claustrophobically small opening in a cave. The only door wasn't gaurded, and yet no one dared go into it. In fact, most people stayed a great deal further away from it then needed, as if it would suddenly shoot out poisonous gas.

"Are you injured, sir?" The man asked, trying to get his attention, but he barely listened as he realized his nephew was no where in sight.

"What has become of Prince Zuko?" He asked calmly and sat up onto his knees to get a bettew look around.

"We're not sure," Another soldier chimed in, avoiding Iroh's sturdy gaze. "When we were brought here, he wasn't with us."

"Tell me," Iroh said, gaining enough strength to get to his feet. "Why is everyone staying here and not setting out to find him?" He looked to the cave entrance/exit and then to the men again. Everyone's attention was now on him but he was used to it.

"We tried. Well, a few men did, but a monster lurks in that hall. It kills all that near the entrance and even some at a safe distance. We've lost six men, sir." Another man, about ten feet answered. Concern fluttered into his mind, but he quickly stomped it down. He had to keep a calm mind if they were going to get out of this.

"Do you know who has captured us?" He asked, finding the question to be dismissed by the entire cave. "No one knows?" He whispered, surprised.

"We couldn't see them," Someone said from the back of the cave. "They could be here right now!" A few other men shivered at the thought. They must've experienced the same strength sucking coldness that he had.

Before long, an uncomfortable silence fell over everyone and most listened for the beast that was down the path. Suddenly, the man closest to the door stood and backed further into the cave; wrapping his arms around himself and shaking. It only took a second for the rest of the cave to feel the same coldness the first man had felt. Iroh let out a sigh and glared as he saw his breath disapate in front of him.

Two men came out of the darkness carrying a semi-concious Zuko in their arms. Not caring about him, they threw him to the ground and turned around to leave. Iroh tried to move, but the cold was again draining him. As soon as the men left, the warmth flooded the cave and Iroh stood up and walked to his nephew. He dropped to his knees and pulled the boy onto his back. Outward appearance wasn't that bad save for a few cuts and bruises, but Iroh knew their was more to it.

A few other men had crowded around the prince and ex-general, while others observed that the water that once dripped from the cieling had frozen solid.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh whispered and layed a heated hand to the boy's face. He pulled it back quickly when he found it to be freezing. "Zuko... nephew," He called out more urgently and let out a sigh of relief when the young boy groaned and opened his eyes.

"Uncle, what has happened?" He asked, putting a hand to his head. The men around them went back to where they were and started chatting amongst themselves and Iroh helped Zuko get into a sitting position.

"We've been captured. By who? I do not know. Why? I do not know, but I do know that we're outmatched." He said and sat back a bit, giving the boy some space. Zuko only nodded and looked around. "What did they do to you?" Iroh asked, realizing that his nephew knew more then he was letting on.

"They _questioned_ me," He answered, dragging the word "questioned" out and Iroh knew that though the boy had said questioned, he really meant something else entirely. "Why have we not tried to escape through that tunnel?" He asked, changing the subject.

"There's a terrible monster behind the darkness," Iroh said cryptically. "You did not see anything when they brought you here?" He countered, not believing his nephew hadn't seen a thing.

The boy shivered despite the damp-warmness of the cave and hugged himself tight. "It was so cold, Uncle," He whispered, letting some of the weakness he's kept hidden creep into his voice.

"I wish I knew what we're up against," Iroh mused and watched the cave's opening with careful eyes.

_Chapter one: Part three - Lord Liam and his Birds.  
_  
"Uncle Iroh!" His nephew's frantic voice cried out and he realized immediately that he had fallen asleep. His eyes opened and he shot to his feet. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists - it was all he could do to keep from falling back down when a burst of hidden fear and coldness slammed into his mind.

He looked around and saw all of the soldiers on their feet and a large man dressed in black armor holding tightly onto an utterly angry looking prince Zuko.

"You will follow us!" The man shouted and jerked Zuko in front of him. They both walked into the cave entrance and without hesitation everyone followed. Iroh pushed the numbing feeling in his toes and fingers into the back of his mind and concentrated on walking. Soon the cave transformed into a castle hallways. Paintings and fancy fournature lined the walls and everything had a red and gold theme.

They made it to a large throne room where a man sat at the front. Running along the room were gold perches. On each perch sat an either red bird, or a gold one and the birds also sat on two poles jutting out from the throne.

They approached the man and the gaurd threw Zuko to the ground, bowed, and took a loyal place next to the throne. The man that sat was old; a whispy white mustache flowed down his face and met with a beard and his skin sagged greatly under his eyes and on his forehead.

"Why have you come here?" The man asked, his voice booming.

"As I've told you before," Prince Zuko said, struggling to stand on wobbly feet. "You brought us here. We had absolutely no intention of stopping."

"Then why were you in our waters?" He shot out in defense.

"These waters were marked as the Fire-Nation. They're not yours!" Zuko shouted, losing his temper as always.

"Ah yes, the Fire-Nation. We're stronger then you, and you will regret ever claiming our land as yours." He said, getting to his feet as the two birds that were perched next to him jumped onto his shoulders.

"I doubt that," Zuko scoffed.

"Fine!" The man bellowed. "We will fight a fair fight. Your men against mine. If you win, you get to leave."

"You have more men then me, and mine are tired from our journeys. I'd hardly call that fight fair." Zuko said, glaring with both eyes.

"I will even our men out so that we both have the same amount and I will give you two days to prepare. In those days, you will have a nicer place to sleep and meals." The man said, stepping closer to Iroh's nephew. He watched them in mild facination.

"And what of us if we lose?" Zuko asked, failing an attempt to sound intimidating.

"I will get to do away with you all as I please," He said and turned to regaurd the soldiers. "My name is Lord Liam, and this island AND these waters are mine." He leaned his face dangerously close to the teenage prince. "I will look forward to having you," He whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. Zuko's stern glare faltered and what could pass for fear traveled through his features.

"We will beat you," He said, trying to sound strong, but everyone caught the emotions that he hid.

"HA! Gaurds, show the soldiers to their chambers and take these two to their room," Lord Liam said gesturing toward Iroh and Prince Zuko.

The gaurd did as he was told and lead everyone to where they would sleep.

"DAMNIT!" Iroh's nephew shouted and slammed an angry fist into the wall of their room. It was well decorated and two beds layed on a strange angle at the upper right and left corners of the room. 

"Calm yourself, Prince Zuko," Iroh said and sat on one of the beds.

"How can I be calm when I know that we're to fight them and lose in two days?" Zuko shouted, again hitting the wall, but this time surrounding his fist with a wall of fire.

"We will think of something," He said gently and stood up. He walked over to his Nephew and took the boys arm. "Do not worry yourself," He continued. "I wonder if they have any tea."

AVATAR!

Reviews get me going. Please, no flames, but friendly suggestion and ideas are welcome. If you see a spelling mistake, let me know. I lost my spell check program and feel like I am missing a HUGE part of me.

So if you liked it so far, drop me a line!

Until next time - _SS_


	2. Chapter 2

I raised the rating because of a few curses and some fairly mild violence. I was conflicted though, I think you see more violence on the discovery channel than this. Oh well... Hurray! Because of the lack of reviews, I can thank all of you personally - Fun fun huh?

Oh, and one more thing. There's only one more chapter left, about this length. So Still - Barely any commitment eh?

**bluedragonstarheart: **Thank you so much for the compliment, though don't worry, content is no problem... well, it may be.  
_  
**Ookami: **_Yes yes, I had to write something not all lovey. I'm not the biggest fan of romance. Thanks for the kind words and I hope you stick with my story.

_**breadrollminion:** _And I am glad you read my non-romance serious story. Haha, I hope you enjoy this chapter also... this is where I normally get kinda sloppy and dialogue heavy... or barely any dialogue at all

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Aribender or any of it's characters. But I do own this ice-cream I am about to eat. SO BLEH! to you  
_  
Chapter Two - Part one: Weak and Powerless_

Prince Zuko's men ate in a separate room as Iroh and his nephew sat anxiously at a large dinning table. Huge ugly and chipped painting hung from walls that looked like they were once white, but now developed a yellowish hue - especially around the paintings. Though the red and gold theme still held firm in all of the chairs and decorative doors. Despite the many exits from the room, Iroh still felt trapped and he cast a sideways glance toward Zuko.

His nephew's gaze was fixed on a large golden axe that hung loosely above a particullary gory picture of a battle. Iroh could tell he was looking at the axe instead of the picture and he could relate with the boy if he was thinking of using it as a weapon is something were to happen.

"I'm not feeling well, uncle. Perhaps I should skip dinner." The young prince said in a voice that contradicted his own words. Iroh knew the boy was scared, but how scared was beyond him. He was never good at reading his nephew's emotions, though he could say that he was better at it then Zuko's father. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat to speak.

"This will go well, prince Zuko. We have already made a deal and I'm sure that Lord Liam will not go back on it." He said, trying to convince both himself and his nephew. "There is not much reason to go back on it," He whispered so lightly that Zuko would not have heard if he wasn't sitting directly next to Iroh.

No one talked for a long while, that is until about nine or ten people dressed in rags marched in holding a meal that could've fed all the men on their ship maybe six times. They placed the food down in pre-set places on the table and then filed out just as Lord Liam came in. His robes were large and extravagant, billowing out in all directions and coming to stop about a few feet from where they stood. They were red and gold also. Iroh thought that if the man would step to the left a little, he would blend completely into the wallpaper.

"Bow to me," He ordered lightly. "This is my palace and you're under my rule. Do as I wish and bow to me!" He said more forcefully when he noticed the looks he was getting.

"Never!" Zuko spat and sat up straight in his chair - ready to fight if such a situation presented itself.

"You dare oppose me?" Liam bellowed and his voice echoed endlessly through the chamber. In not a moments time, Liam cleared the space between him and Iroh's nephew. With a tight gaze, Zuko held his ground. Silence an answer enough for the Lord, he yanked his hand back and hit the teenager. Of course Zuko didn't budge, and to make matters worse, he spoke again.

"That's all? My mother could've done worse," He said and Iroh pressed himself against his chair. His nephew would pay for that. As he guessed, something in the room changed. A definate cold that loomed around the table closed in taking Iroh's breath away. He looked to the prince and could tell the boy had felt it too by the way his eyes darted around.

About twenty glowing figures appeared around them. They were just like the one that Iroh saw on the ship. Liam said something, but he couldn't hear it over the blood that rushed through his ears and pounded behind his eyes. One figure stepped forward and wrapped a large-firm hand around Zuko's throat and lifted him out of his seat and off the floor. Zuko choked and his hands flew up in a mild attempt to loosen the deadly vice that cut his airways off.

Again he made to help the boy, but just like on the ship, two arms encircled him and washed a cold feeling through his veins. Black dots swam in his vision and he wondered if his nephew was experiencing anything like this. It didn't take long for the dots to consume all of his sight in their magic dance.

Suddenly, the cold went away and he opened his eyes to find he was on the ground. Without wasting his time, he jumped to his feet and watched as the figure that held his nephew slammed the boy against the wall, the wall with the axe. The bump rattled the axe, but it stayed up there. Fighting the hands that still held his neck, Zuko reached up just high enough and tore the axe from it's holding place.

In one swift motion, he cut down and a stream of blood poured out of the figure and rushed onto him. He was abruptly dropped to the ground. The prince dropped the axe and grabbed his sore throat. He was gasping for breath. Iroh would've went to the boy's side, but he was too shocked. All the figures disappeared and Liam was standing at the far end of the room with an expression that matched the wise uncle's.

The once invisible figure in front of Zuko turned from not there to there in seconds and made the whole room wish it hadn't. Not many people had the "pleasure" of seeing a man almost cut in half right down their center, but it wasn't pretty. What resembled a man was sprawled out in front of Zuko. Organs and blood poured from the remains and had everyone frozen in their tracks - especially the teenage prince.

Hands still around his throat, he stared at his legs that were almost completely covered by what he had killed or what was now suitable, who he had killed. Liam was the first to move, and his actions sparked a chain of events. First, the man ran from the room, then Iroh started to run to Zuko, but was instead grabbed by a gaurd who reluctantly dragged him to the room that he and his nephew were to stay in.

Not soon after, Zuko was pushed into the room and the door was shut loudly. At first, they were both quiet, but it was broken quickly when Zuko let out a sound that could've almost been a laugh, but turned into a sob as he fell to his knees. Iroh finally able to be at the boy's side was there in a second. The prince was covered in foreign blood and shook violently. Iroh placed a hand on the boy's shaking shoulder.

"Maybe we can beat them," Zuko said and pulled his arms to hug himself. A rare show of weakness that Zuko only reserved for the times when it was just him and his Uncle. He chuckled and a wild look came to his eyes. "I mean, that wasn't hard at all." He swallowed hard and Iroh could tell his nephew was trying not to get sick. He wanted to say something, but everything he thought of seemed to make matters worse. Even he was shaken by the kill, and he'd seen so much.

"Maybe he'll give us plenty of axes to work with," Iroh said and wrapped his arm around the boy to help him to his feet. "Guess we won't be having that dinner we were promised." Zuko let a smile pass his lips, but it never quite made it to his eyes. They both stood and Iroh guided Zuko to one of the beds. "Sleep will be good," He whispered, though he knew the young prince would do nothing of the sort. He would be lucky if he got Zuko to even lay down.

"He'll kill us in our sleep. He's probably already killed my men," The boy said as he sat on the bed, his arms still tightly wrapped around his middle.

Iroh sat next to him. "Are you alright, Zuko?" He asked, letting his concern show in his voice. He seemed to be the only one that still considered the prince in front of him to be just a boy. He may have grown up fast, but deep down inside, Zuko was still young. Something passed through his eyes and Iroh knew then that the weakness his nephew was showing was no more. "I'm fine, uncle. Do not trouble yourself." The boy said, his eyes scanning his bloody armor. "We must get out of here. I have a bad feeling."

"Me too," Iroh agreed, standing up and walking to his bed. He wouldn't sleep either. They both stayed quiet until the door to there chamber burst open and Liam strode in. 

His robes were different now, but still as extravagant as before. His face seemed to droop more severely and his hair that used to be tame now stuck out in all directions. "You've angered me," He began and walked to the middle of the room. "And as your punishment, our battle will be tomorrow. So you'd better get some sleep if you plan on lasting half as long as you're hoping." His voice seemed hollow. He rubbed his eyes and walked wordlessly from the room. Iroh looked to his nephew and was surprised to see the boy lay down -without any blankets over him- and close his eyes.

"Sleep well, Pince Zuko." Iroh whispered, but stayed sitting. He wouldn't let his nephew sleep ungaurded.

"Thank you, Uncle." The boy responded, keeping his eyes closed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and they'd both be lucky to live through it.

_Chapter Two - Part two: A Battle for Everything_

They were awoken around 5:00am standard time. Of course, Iroh had already been awake, staring with burning eyes at the motionless door. Now him, Zuko, and their men sat in a large room preparing to enter a battle arena that waited just outside a metal door. The rain that was pounding them yesterday still layed above them, threatening to fall at any moment and make this battle even harder.

The room they were in was much different from all of the others. It was made almost entirely out of a heavy stone. The impossibly close walls radiated a coldness that ex-General Iroh had never felt before - that is until they were taken here. Their men talked, some sat like statues, their faces grim, and Iroh's nephew watched the door. A spear was in his hands. That was all they were given - spears. Barely enough for all of them.

Zuko was to lead them out into the wind-swept arena and Iroh was to follow from the behind. There was a sound behind the doors and everyone lined up in their proper places. Backs were straight, spears at the ready. Iroh took a breath to calm his beating heart and bent down, ready to charge up.

"Keep together," Zuko said, speaking directly to his men - something he doesn't do so often. "If one of you is in trouble, help them. If I..." He paused as the door started to slowly creak open. "If I am in trouble, and you cannot help me, do not sacrafice yourselves. Once we enter this battle, we're all equals. We are all risking everything." Iroh couldn't believe what he was hearing. Maybe he heard wrong over the moaning of the door.

The door hit the top with a loud bang and everyone ran, battle cries and clanking of armor disrupted the gusting winds. With ranks forgotten, everyone lined in a straight line in the middle of the arena. Nothing was there. Iroh and his nephew both kept their eyes locked on the door straight ahead of them. The Arena was large and circular. Broken walls crumbled along the sides and the ground was uneven. The sky was painted a hideous shade of gray and the wind was chilling.

"Where are they?" Zuko asked, gritting his teeth at the trickery. Iroh gasped, a sudden realization dawning on him.

"They're here!" He shouted. Turning around to look behind them. Their men looked confused, but Zuko caught on quick.

"Bastards!" He cried, pulling his spear up and looking around wildly. "What do we do, Uncle? We can't fight what we can't see!"

"We have to," Iroh said just as something came in contact with his spear. He flew back and threw it forward, not sure whether he hit or missed, he swung again. Before long, the sounds of a battle were loud against his ears and he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like for someone watching this. Something hit him hard in the side of his face and he tried to throw a fire-ball... but nothing happened. 

He spared a quick glance around and saw everyone else was having the same problem. Their chances of winning dropped considerably.

AVATAR

Well, what do you think? Please review! I beg you


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Not mine… go away.

Alright! Thank you so much for the… reviews. This is the last chapter and I hope you like it.

_Chapter Three – Part one: Let Go; Jump In _

The battle broke out quickly and before Iroh could formulate a worth-while plan, chaos erupted around him. The whole battle field was a mess with fists and fire, though he had to admit that the fight would have looked more impressive if their soldiers were not the only ones seen. A cry alerted him as one of Zuko's men grabbed his throat and fell to the ground in an ever growing pool of red liquid.

He wanted to see how his nephew was fairing, but every time he tried to glance over, he sensed a foot, or a fist coming at him. Another cry and another body. They were losing fast; too fast for Iroh to even think. An invisible hand grasped his forearm and he crumpled to the ground as all of the heat in his body was sucked away. He couldn't let them do this to him, he had to fight.

He shut his eyes tight and called upon his remaining strength, but before he could even start to stand up, the feeling disappeared. His eyes wandered up to Zuko. A spear outstretched in his arms, he was standing over Iroh, chest heaving with effort. Blood already dripped freely from a particularly nasty cut across his left temple and his legs shook. Iroh didn't waste anymore time. He stood up, grabbed his own spear and dove back into the battle.

After all, maybe they weren't losing. Just because they couldn't see the corpses of the opposing side, doesn't mean they aren't there. Another cry, but this time when he looked around, none of his men fell. There! That was the inspiration he needed.

"We can do this!" Zuko shouted, most likely seeing the same event as Iroh. The men fought harder than ever before, but the battle's end didn't seem to get any closer. As the day turned to afternoon, Liam made his grand entrance and stood at a top row of one side of the stadium. He clapped his hands, and before long, the battle had quieted down.

"You've made a grand effort, but I must be going and of course I can't leave my little toys back here alone..." He broke off into an unhealthy laugh and turned to leave. Just as his back faded into a darkened doorway, the gates that they had come out of opened up again.

Zuko approached Iroh, still trying desperately to catch his breath and all of the soldiers looked around confused.

"Are they giving us a rest?" Zuko asked hopefully, but Iroh silenced him with a wave of his hand. Some of their men started toward the gate and Iroh panicked when he saw something in the dirt. A footprint appeared, large and deep.

"NO!" He cried out, throwing his arms up in an attempt to get them to come back, but it was too late. Whatever was there took that as its cue and threw a massive arm out, sending about five men flying through the air. They collided with the west wall and hit the ground just as hard. They didn't get up.

Beside him, Zuko took an unsure step backwards, his eyes never leaving the area he thought it was in.

"Oh God," He whispered, and swallowed hard, blinking the sweat from his eyes as if it would help him get a better look. The monster roared. An other-worldly noise exploding from one side of the stadium. The ten men that they had left backed to the other side, but he and Zuko stood in shock.

Iroh looked at his nephew, thoughts running through his head that this may just be the last time he will ever see the boy and Zuko looked back. His eyes searching Iroh's for any sign of a plan; an idea, but he saw nothing. "Uncle?" He asked, frightened. Iroh had always found a way out of trouble, but as the man thought, he came up with nothing. "Goodbye..." Zuko said, looking back at where the monster was and holding his breath. The winds changed and Iroh could feel the beast ready to swat them like little bugs. If only they could fire bend, but those invisible... his thoughts stopped short when he realized that the men had to be gone.

Liam surely hadn't left his own men out on the field. He opened his palm in desperate haste and tried to make a fire-ball. It worked. He gasped a new hope swelling in his heart. He pulled his arms back and sent another fireball flying forward. He heard Zuko's gasp next to him and couldn't help but smile.

It hit the monster and it roared in pain. Their men, seeing what they were able to do began fire bending. It didn't take long before the loud thud of the monster falling echoed through the air. Night was now upon them and they took little time to enjoy their victory.

Iroh turned to speak with Zuko, and his heart dropped when he didn't see his nephew. "Prince Zuko!" He shouted through the night, catching the attention of the soldiers. They searched too, but he was gone. "Go," He said, addressing what was left of Zuko's fleet. "I will find Zuko. You find the ship and I will meet you there." They nodded and took off for the first door that they had come out of while Iroh headed for the other side.

He ventured through stone and dirt until he came upon the same castle part they had been in before. The red and gold was unsettling and so was the silence. He could hear his heart beat which made it beat faster. Would Zuko be foolish enough to go back in? A scream stopped his steady pace through the halls and he looked up. It was definitely Zuko, but what scared Iroh was that it took a lot to get his nephew to cry out like that. He began running, now with more distress.

The scream came again, but this time it faltered off and was much more faded. He burst through the golden doors of the throne room and clenched his fists tight. Zuko was chained to the furthest wall, a little behind the throne. Liam was standing a few feet away, a smirk twisting onto his face as he turned and saw Iroh.

"So nice of you to join us," He pulled a bloody knife up to his face and watched blood drip from it. Iroh couldn't get a good look at Zuko, but he was willing to bet that it was the boy's blood on the knife.

"Get away from him!" Iroh shouted, for once unable to hide his anger. "I know, I know. I lost, but what's so wrong in me taking home a consolation prize?" Liam said, taking a step back and taking Zuko's chin; forcing his head up. A long cut ran across his face accompanied by the still bleeding cut on his temple.

"Plenty," Iroh growled, knowing he could beat Liam, it was the invisible men that he was afraid of.

"I'm letting you leave. Go on, get out of my kingdom. You're lucky I let your men leave!" He spat, taking his hand away from Iroh's nephew and approaching the aged man.

"You call _that _letting them leave?" Iroh shouted, trying to form a plan in his head. Behind Liam, Zuko moaned but otherwise didn't move. Iroh had never felt such anger. The only times that even came close were the times that he witnessed how terrible Zuko's father treated him. It always angered and amazed him how Zuko was so oblivious to how evil his father was. The boy just loved the Fire Lord too much. 

Iroh took a deep breath to calm himself, and saw his opening. With surprising speed he bent down and tripped Liam. The Lord fell to the ground with a rough grunt and Iroh made a wall of fire around him. It would give him enough time to free Zuko and leave. He ran up to the boy, keeping most of his concentration on the fire and pulled the chains loose. Zuko, unable to hold his weight as the chains dropped, crumpled to his knees and fell forward, surprising Iroh.

His concentration left and the fire dissipated as he caught his nephew before the boy hit the ground. His mind was whirling, and he found it quite strange that he hadn't even thought of Liam. He gently rested Zuko on the ground and turned just as the Lord charged at him. The fight broke out with quickness, both eager to finish it off but for different reasons. Iroh first took the defensive, accurately blocking all of Liam's kicks and punches with little effort.

But before Iroh could take a more offensive stance, Liam leapt to a wall and pulled a long golden sword from it's sheath. Iroh sent a few fire balls that way, but Liam's sword just absorbed it. He ran forward, holding the sword back - ready to strike. Just as Liam reached Iroh, Zuko did an outstanding flip over his uncle, landing in front of him and throwing his chains out. They wrapped around Liam's ankles and he toppled heavily to the ground as Prince Zuko jerked the chains backwards.

Liam's sword flew through the air and Iroh caught it. He hated Liam for what he did, but killing him was too extreme. He looked to his nephew as Liam struggled to untangle himself on the ground. Zuko was out of breath, but his cuts were superficial. He'd live with minor scars, barely anything to worry about compared to the scar that marred his left eye. Iroh, making his decision, bent down and tied the chains all around Liam, melting them in places to make sure they were strong.

He stood up to full height and addressed the boy to his right. "We had better get going Prince Zuko." He said calmly, as if the whole ordeal had never happened.

"Yes, Uncle." Zuko replied, choosing to follow in Iroh's lead.

As they left the great hall, Iroh turned around and blasted fire though the doors until the place was substantially on fire, then he shut the door as he and his nephew preceded down the hall.

"Thanks..." Zuko whispered hesitatingly. Iroh didn't answer; he knew the boy was not looking for one.

_Chapter Three – Part two: Epilogue  
_  
Once safely on the ship, everything seemed to return to normal. They had set a course to a beautiful island to have a rest and stock up. Iroh figured that the men deserved it. He kneeled on the deck with his nephew, quietly bandaging Zuko's wounds. Nothing too bad and the same for himself. He hadn't really realized how much the boy meant to him until now as they sat in comfortable silence. Without any children of his own, Iroh enjoyed considering the young prince to be just that, a son. Though he would never tell Zuko of his thoughts.

Prince Zuko loved his own father and Iroh never expected the boy to feel any form of paternal love for him and in a way he didn't mind. He finished wrapping a nasty gash on Zuko's leg and stood up from the ground, brushing himself off and sighing. Zuko stood to, but an anxious expression appeared on his face.

"Uncle..." He said quietly, refusing to meet the older man's gaze. A few moments passed until Zuko lifted his head slightly. He stepped forward quickly and hugged Iroh. At first, the ex-general was caught off guard. He took a surprised step back, but came to his senses quick enough to return the hug. Zuko pulled away awkwardly and looked up at his uncle.

Maybe Iroh was wrong; maybe Zuko realized what Iroh was and what his father wasn't. Iroh smiled quietly and put a gentle hand on his nephew's shoulder. Zuko smiled back, the expression seeming strangely harsh against the prince's face. Had it really been that long since the boy smiled?

"Now then, let us go get some tea," Iroh beamed, happy at the thought of tea. 

"I figured as much," Zuko grumbled, though his voice had a hint of humor in it. They headed off the deck and disappeared beneath the ship, letting go of the memories of their experience that were sure to haunt them later. But as for now, things were perfect. 

_ The End.  
_  
Well, there it is – my third EVER fanfiction finished. I hope you enjoyed it… even if not that many people read it. But for those who did… I LOVE YOU! Thanks for sticking with it's extremely long three chapters guys! Really, thank you.


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